What Cedes Said
by erchills
Summary: A song prompt based on 'What Sarah Said' by Death Cab For Cutie.


Warning: Character Death.

* * *

"I can't believe you brought me to the park! I love it, and I missed it. Thank you." Mercedes giggled then stood on her tippy-toes to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

Sam smiled. "It's where we had a lot of our firsts- including our first ketchup on the side of my mouth incident," he wiggled his eyebrows. "and you know that led to our first kiss which led to-"

"My mom calling and telling me to get my butt home!" He groaned at the memory and she merely laughed. "Yes, but this park does hold a lot of memories for us."

"C'mon, want a hot dog? I'm going to need my strength if I'm going to kick your butt at tennis."

"I wish Stevie and Stacey could be here to play with us, but at least they won't have to see their big brother cry when I beat him for the millionth time!"

He brought his hand to his chest and mocked being hurt. "You wound my ego, oh short one. But I'll just have to wait and see of your skills have improved."

"Let's just get your hot dog so we can play!" He swooped his head down so he could kiss her before grabbing her hand and walking to the vendor by the road.

It all happened too fast for him to properly react. He was too busy adding the perfect ratio of ketchup and mustard onto the bun when he heard her say she was going to get the ball. It didn't register that she even left his side until he heard the brakes of the car and caught the scent of burned rubber. His mind was still processing the situation, but his body was on automatic. He ran to her and saw that the hot dog vendor was already calling 911.

His breaths were ragged as he pleaded with her to open her eyes, to just wake up and get up and show him that her arm wasn't really in such an awkward angle- that it was all in his head. He didn't hear the ambulance over his screams, but he did hear the paramedic when he was asked to let go. "I can't- I'm all she has right now...please don't take her away..." he cried while clutching the man's arm. "Please, please fix her but don't make me leave, p-please!"

He didn't remember what happened next, only that when he opened his eyes he was in standing outside a pair of doors that were swinging closed after allowing an unconscious Mercedes roll by.

* * *

After several hours of pacing, which felt more like lifetimes to Sam and her parents, a man in scrubs came out. Sam ran up to him. "Are you here for Mercedes? Is she alright? When can we see her?"

The man looked at Sam and then to the Jones's who nodded.

"We managed to stop the internal bleeding, but unfortunately she has fallen into a coma. We'll be keeping her under our care, but there is a chance she may not wake up, I'm sorry."

The words faded to white noise and Sam tried not to think of the worst. Mercedes had to be okay, she had to be okay. He didn't believe him. The word "No" kept leaving his mouth as he fell back into a seat and covered his face. "It wasn't supposed to- we were just going to play some tennis- this wasn't- I didn't-"

His words faded to nothing and he sat there while the doctor talked to her parents. "Can I see her?"

Her parents looked to the doctor and he nodded. A nurse led Sam to Mercedes's room. With his heart in his stomach, he dreaded the scene that was awaited him.

He entered the room and immediately, his heart broke. She was lying there, broken. Beautiful, but broken. Her hair was in a halo around her head, but the rest of her body was so..not her. Her face was bruised and her uninjured was hooked up to all types of machines. There were tubes in her mouth and nose that led to more machines.

He began to tear up, but he promised himself wouldn't cry in front of her. After getting his breathing under control and blinking the tears away he went up to her. He had to say something- the beeping of the machine and the steady hum of electricity freaked him out. He walked along the right side of her bed and leaned over to gently cup her face. The tears that he had tried to hold were now falling off his cheeks and onto her skin. "I love you, and you need to get better- okay? We have lots to do and there's so much we haven't seen or experienced. Wake up for us, okay baby? I don't- you need to wake up. Please, wake up."

* * *

"They said that singing helps...so I had Puck drop off my guitar and I'm gonna play a few songs and you're gonna wake up to sing with me, yeah?"

He looked at her and willed her to open her eyes, but there was no change. Even after four weeks.

* * *

"NO!"

"Sam, baby- we have to. This isn't a life..."

"NO! You can't just go ahead and end it all! She's gonna get better! Just wait and she will!"

"Honey, it's been two months and there's no sign of brain activity. We have to say our goodbye's now."

"NO! Don't do this Mama Jones, please!"

* * *

He sits in the dark corner of the room as her friends come in and say their goodbyes. They're all idiots. She's going to wake up, he knows it. Some even try to console him, but it doesn't work because he doesn't need it. She's gonna wake up and everything will go back to normal. They'd see.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Mercedes. You should have- you shouldn't have to be the one. I would give anything to switch places with you. You would have lived a long and beautiful life, huh? Had lots of babies and made me so proud. But- but you didn't. Because you died. And I'm so sorry that you did. It eats at me, everyday. The way it happened. The way everything happened."

He cleared his throat and looked out over the lawn of the cemetery. It was a beautiful day. Her birthday. She would have been 18.

"I waited for you to wake up. Even after the machines stopped and they called out the time. I waited. I stayed until the last possible moment..."

His voice cracked once more and he set the flowers in the pot, making them nice and pretty, liked she would have wanted.

"I hope you're with the Big Man. I hope that he knows I'm still making due on all those promises I gave him that night...I'm going to church every Sunday. I'm getting good grades and I even joined a sport. I do it for you, and for Him. I'm going to join you one day. I'm going to be up there with you and we'll finally get to do it all together. We'll be happy, forever. You just gotta wait a little longer, okay? I love you, Mercedes Jones. Forever and always. We'll be together again, you'll see."

* * *

I don't own Glee.

Based on "What Sarah Said" by Death Cab for Cutie

Huge thanks to Celine and Dayvii.

I've had this sitting around for a while. Finally had the urge to post after reading the latest chapter of _Shiver_ by _ .Wings._


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